Goodbye
by Apple-chan
Summary: AnnaXYoh. A look at what happened right before Yoh left for America. 3-part. [COMPLETED]
1. Come Back to Me

**Goodbye  
by Apple-chan  
**  
Disclaimer: insert witty disclaimer remark here  
  
AnnaXYoh. A look at what happened right before Yoh left for America. Was 2-part, but is now 3-part.  
  
Spoilers: For episode 25 of the Anime  
  
Warnings: Utter weirdness. Lots of utter weirdness.  
  
Others: OOC-ish. Or maybe not. You decide.=)

**Part One: Anna**

**Come Back to Me**

The day after tomorrow, he's leaving. He'll be going to America for the rest of the Shaman fight. He'll be there for...a couple of months, maybe even a year. He won't be lonely. He'll be with his friends.  
  
And as for me...I'll be here. I'll be waiting.  
  
I'll be waiting for the results of the Shaman fight.  
  
I'll be waiting for the day he comes back, as the Shaman King.  
  
I'll be waiting patiently for him.  
  
_And if he loses, I'll..._I stopped briefly at that thought.  
  
_He won't lose.  
  
He won't.  
  
He can't.  
  
He -will- win.  
  
I know he will.  
  
He will.  
_  
_But what if he loses?_ There was that stupid voice in my head.  
  
_You have to consider that, Anna. The battles he will be facing, they are a matter of life and death, whether you choose to believe it or not._  
  
_And his enemies will be stronger. Much, much stronger than his previous opponents._  
  
_Will he survive?_  
  
_He will,_ I thought confidently. _He has to._  
  
_If he doesn't, I'll...I'll kill him.  
_  
_It wouldn't make sense, though, would it?_ That awful voice was back in my head again. _I mean, you can't kill him, not if he's already dead..._  
  
_Shut up,_ I said to the voice._ He -will- survive, if I had anything to say about it._  
  
_But you don't._ Stupid voice was very pessimistic.  
  
_Yes I do,_ I insisted. _I'm Kyouyama Anna the Itako. I'm very powerful. Of course I have something to say about it. And I say he -will- survive. He -will- win._  
  
_Right, right. Keep telling yourself that._ The stupid voice was mocking me.  
  
I am annoyed. Very annoyed.  
  
"Anna..."  
  
"What?" I snapped, glaring at him. At Yoh. The object of my thoughts.  
  
He had finished brushing his teeth, and as of the moment he was cringing. I wonder why he was cringing.  
  
Oh, yeah. I was glaring at him. And I just snapped at him, when I didn't even mean to. I groaned mentally.  
  
I wonder if it was possible to exorcise the stupid voice inside my head...  
  
"Ah...ano...you...want to take a walk with...me...?" He asked with hesitation.  
  
"Walk?" I repeated, more calmly this time. And I stopped glaring at him. It was that stupid voice's fault anyway, not his.  
  
He nodded.  
  
"In this weather?" It was very cold outside. I wonder why he wanted to take a walk. And with me, at that.  
  
"Uh-huh." He smiled. That stupid, idiotic smile.  
  
_I won't be seeing him smile like that for a very long time,_ I thought.  
  
_You'll miss him. _That stupid voice inside my head was back.  
  
_Shut up! Of course I wo..._I stopped dead at that thought. _Will I...?_  
  
"Anna?" He was talking again. Talking to me.  
  
What were we talking about again? The...the walk. Yes, he asked me to take a walk. In the cold.  
  
"Okay," I told him.  
  
His eyes lit up as he grinned. "Great!" He exclaimed as he went to his room to put some clothes on.  
  
_I wonder how long I'll have to wait until I see his eyes light up like that again..._

*~*~*~*~*~*

Then, there we were, near the lake. He was leaning over the railings with a wistful smile on his face.  
  
"Three months, isn't it?" I asked, standing beside him.  
  
He looked at me and nodded. "Three months to get to Patch Village..." he murmured to the lake.  
  
His voice. His soft, calm voice. Even when he was grumbling, he was calm. Even when I trained him too hard, he was calm.  
  
_I wonder how long it will be until I hear his voice again...  
_  
_You'll miss him._ That stupid voice again._ Why don't you just admit it? Why don't you just admit it to yourself? More importantly, why don't you just admit it to HIM? Why don't you tell him?_  
  
_Tell him...?  
_  
_Would it even matter...? I mean, I trained him so hard. I'm sure he would be glad to be rid of me for a prolonged period of time. All I've ever been to him was a slave driver...  
_  
_No, that's not true._ That voice again.  
  
_Of course it's true. I'm nothing more than...  
_  
_You're his fiancée. That should tell you who you are to him.  
_  
_But he doesn't like me. He only puts up with me because his family...  
_  
_Now who's being pessimistic? _Stupid voice could even stand to be sarcastic.  
  
_You were the one saying he wouldn't win.  
_  
_Haven't you ever heard of teasing? No, of course you haven't. You're Kyouyama Anna, the Ice Queen. You can't tell the difference between a teasing remark and a serious remark._  
  
_That's not true!  
_  
_Isn't it?_ I really want to kill this voice now. _Come on, admit it..._  
  
_Alright, alright. I'll miss him. I'll miss seeing him and that idiotic grin on his face. I'll miss hearing his calm voice. I'll miss his weird laugh. I'll miss his grumbling. I'll miss the breakfast, lunch and dinner he makes, and training him, and ordering him around, and...  
_  
_Whoa there. Stop. That was very good. A little overboard, but very good nonetheless._  
  
_Great._  
  
_Now, YOU tell HIM.  
_  
_No way. No.Way. No.Freaking.Way.  
_  
_Oh, come on. _Stupid voice was teasing me again. And I was allowing it to tease me. I'll kill it someday...  
  
"Yoh." Was that my voice? Oh, yes. That was me talking.   
  
He looked at me questioningly. "Yeah?"  
  
"I..." Great. Just great. I was taking the advice of the voice in my head. Someone please kill me now. "I..." I shivered.  
  
"You cold?" He asked with concern.  
  
I nodded, not trusting my mouth to say anything.  
  
I sat down on a bench. A few minutes later, he tossed me a can of tea.  
  
Warm tea. I held it up and rubbed it against my cheek gently. "Warm..."  
  
He smiled at me.  
  
_God, this is what I'll miss most about him. His sweetness._  
  
"You were saying?" He asked.  
  
_I was saying? _Oh. I was talking. Right. "I...Yoh, I..."  
  
_Go on, go on!_ The stupid voice was cheering me on. I swallowed, then gazed squarely into his eyes. "If you lose, I will never forgive you."  
  
He was surprised, but he grinned. "I know. I won't lose."  
  
I smiled with satisfaction. "Good." Take that, you stupid voice.  
  
_You have a lot of faith in him, don't you? _The stupid voice just won't give up.  
  
_Yes, I do._ I thought with confidence. _He -will- win._  
  
_Alright, I give up._ The voice said in resignation. _I believe you._  
  
"We should be getting home. It's late." I stood up and turned to leave.  
  
I brushed off dust from my skirt and started to walk towards home...when a pair of arms enfolded me.  
  
Embraced me.  
  
_Yoh.  
_  
I could feel my heart thudding in my chest. And the pain that was constricting there suddenly broke free.  
  
And I felt the tears fall down my cheeks.  
  
"You can slap me now if you want," He murmured against my back. "I don't care. But this is the only time I'll get to do this. I need to do this before I leave. I want to remember you. I want to remember what I'm coming back for."  
  
I couldn't answer him. I just felt the tears continue to fall.  
  
_THIS is what I'll miss the most...  
_  
His love.  
  
"Are you angry with me?" He murmured questioningly.  
  
I shook my head, still not trusting my voice to speak. And I wasn't angry. Not when I was crying. Not when he was hugging me.  
  
Not when he was loving me.  
  
He gave a sigh of relief. "Good." Then, I felt his arms around me tighten.  
  
"Yoh..." Gathering up my courage, I started to speak. I gently touched his hands, his arms around me.  
  
"Anna...?"  
  
"I..." I took a deep breath. "I...." _I'll miss you. I'll miss you. I'll.Miss.You._ Why was it so hard to say?  
  
"What is it, Anna?"  
  
I shook my head. Even like this, I still couldn't say it. I already had my guard down. I had nothing to lose.  
  
So why couldn't I say it?  
  
"Just...just...come back to me, okay?" I muttered.  
  
His arms around me tightened even more. "I will." I thought I could feel him smile, even if I couldn't see it. "Of course I will."  
  
"Yoh."  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"I..." I swallowed. "I'll miss you."  
  
He chuckled. "I'll miss you too."  
  
And that stupid voice inside my head did a victory dance.  
  
Maybe it wasn't so stupid after all.

TSUZUKU.

**End Notes:**  
  
Told you it was weird, didn't I? =)

Updated July 2, 2003 for grammar, spelling and typo errors. Updated again July 14, 2003--just the note above.  
  
Very big thanks to those who reviewed Angels and Immortality. Hope you liked this bit of weirdness as well. Part 2 will be posted next week.  
  
Reviews will be very much appreciated.


	2. Wait for Me

**Goodbye  
by Apple-chan  
**  
Disclaimer: insert witty disclaimer remark here  
  
AnnaXYoh. A look at what happened right before Yoh left for America. Was supposedly only 2-part, but is now 3-part.  
  
Spoilers: For episode 25 of the Anime  
  
Warnings: Utter weirdness. Lots of utter weirdness.   
  
Others: OOC-ish. Or completely OOC. Yoh is...very weird here. I mean, seriously weird.  
  
Same scenes as the first part, only this time, it's in Yoh's POV.

**Part Two: Yoh**

**Wait for Me**

I gave her a sidelong glance as I brushed my teeth.  
  
_Less than two days. You'll be leaving in less than two days, Asakura Yoh.  
_  
The day after tomorrow, I would be on a plane, on my way to America with my Shaman friends. The second preliminaries were to take place on a village known as Patch, somewhere in that country called America.  
  
_America.  
  
I wonder how far exactly it was from Japan?  
  
I wonder how far exactly Patch Village is from Funbarigaoka?  
_  
I sighed as I continued brushing my teeth. Probably farther than I would have the patience to count. I can't even distinguish north from south in a map.  
  
_I wonder how long it would take, that plane ride from here to America...  
_  
_I wonder how long before we're able to find Patch Village._ I mean, the organizers gave us three months to find it. Just how difficult can finding one village be?  
  
I don't know. As I said, I can't even read a map right. Ren and the guys know how to read a map, though. At least, I sincerely hope they do.  
  
Well...that's reassuring, somehow. I think.  
  
I gazed up at the clock. Two more minutes before I rinse my mouth. Brushing teeth really takes time. A minimum of five minutes per session, and three times brushing session a day. That's fifteen minutes of time spent only on brushing teeth. But tooth-brushing is very vital to the health of the teeth, and thus, the health of the body. And for that reason, it should never been taken lightly. Or so Anna says.  
  
_Anna.  
_  
I almost forgot about her.  
  
No...I didn't 'almost forgot'. She had always been there, lurking at the back of my...heart. I was just...scared to think about her.  
  
Not because I'm scared of her. Okay, so maybe that's part of the reason. Alright, alright, so maybe half the reason I try not to think about her, and kept the thought of her at the back of my heart, was because I was dead scared of her.  
  
I was scared that if I showed any emotion concerning her, she would...she would kill me. Well, not really kill me, but you know--hurt me a lot for me to wish I was dead if I ever did anything...tried anything at all to show that...well...that I was going to miss her.  
  
The other half reason as to why I try not to think of her, and of leaving her, is because...it...hurt. A lot.   
  
How many months, exactly, would I be gone, after all? Three? Five? Half a year? Maybe...a whole year?  
  
Just thinking about not having her around for, say, a couple of days, made me feel...incomplete. Somehow.  
  
And just thinking about leaving her...well, I already said that, didn't I? That it hurt. Thinking of waking up in the morning and not seeing her with me hurt. Thinking of sleeping at night without the assurance that she would be in the other room hurt.  
  
And the thought that...that there's a possibility that, in less than two days, when I say goodbye to her, it might be the last time I will see her...that hurt.  
  
It's so nice to think positively. That I'll be back. That everything will be alright, somehow.  
  
That when I come back, she would be there, waiting for me.  
  
And I will come back.  
  
But I might not.  
  
That's why I try not to think of her. Of leaving her. Because thinking of leaving her gave me pain, and thinking of that pain, makes me remember that there's that fifty percent chance that I might not come back. To her.  
  
It was hard, like this. Half of me wanted to smile and say to her that "I will win and I'll come back," while the other half wanted to just...I don't know. Do something. Anything. Anything to make me remember her. Anything to make me go on for a while without her there physically with me. Anything.  
  
I gave her another sidelong glance as I finished brushing my teeth. I rinsed my mouth. Then I gazed at the clock.  
  
Exactly five minutes. Great.  
  
Less than two days before I leave for America.  
  
Less than two days, and I still hadn't been able to say goodbye. To her.  
  
I mean, as my fiancée, and with all the training and everything she had given me, I owe her at least that much, before I leave.  
  
And I owe it to myself, as well.  
  
I needed something to remember her by. I will be leaving, but I was going to come back. And I need to have a memory of what I was going back for.  
  
-Who- I was going back for.   
  
Gathering up the last bit of my courage, I spoke. "Anna..."  
  
"What?" She glared at me. I cringed. So much for that. _Why was she so angry...?_  
  
_Is it because...I haven't said goodbye to her yet...?_  
  
"Ah...ano...you...want to take a walk with...me...?" I asked with hesitation. _Please say yes, say yes, say yes..._  
  
"Walk?" She repeated.   
  
I nodded. As I examined her face, I heaved a sigh of relief. At least she wasn't glaring anymore. Good. _Omedetto, Asakura Yoh,_ I thought, patting myself at the back mentally.  
  
"In this weather?" _Oh no. Is that hesitation I hear from her voice...? I hope to God not. I mean, it was cold, but it wasn't that cold...  
  
Was it...?_  
  
Oh, never mind. "Uh-huh," I smiled. It was the only thing I could do to not look like an idiot. But maybe I already looked like an idiot before I even started to speak. _Ah, well. Why would it matter, anyway? Anna already thinks YOU'RE an idiot, so it's an irrelevant subject to think about...  
_  
A number of conflicting emotions flashed across her pretty face. _God, she's pretty. Beautiful, in fact...so beautiful that I...   
_  
_Wait, hold on a second...  
_  
_Conflicting emotions on her face...? That's...that's...the Kyouyama Anna I know has a poker face that's very hard to crack, so why...  
_  
_Is there something wrong with her...?  
_  
"Anna?" I tried. I called her.  
  
She seemed to snap back into focus. Poker face was back in full flash. But she was still lost in thought, I could tell.  
  
Not for long, though. "Okay." She said. Poker face still in check.  
  
_Wait...she said okay? She actually agreed?  
_  
_Omedetto gozaimasu, Asakura Yoh. Great job._ "Great!" I could feel the excitement that was probably written on my whole face. As I went to my room to get some warm clothes, I could have sworn I saw a hint of an expression on her face.  
  
_A smile...that made her so beautiful...  
_  
Now I understand why she never smiled at me much lately. If, at any point before I left, she smiles at me directly, I don't think I would be able to leave at all.  
  
I don't think I would ever want to leave. Who would? Seeing her smile like that was probably better than being Shaman King.

*~*~*~*~*~*

So peaceful, this lake. And so beautiful, at night. Even at this cold weather.  
  
And her.  
  
I didn't risk a glance at her, but instead, I leaned across the railings and stared out at the lake, and at the sky. At the periphery of my eyes I saw her, and I knew she was standing right next to me.  
  
_I don't think anything else would be more perfect than this...  
_  
"Three months, isn't it?" Her soft, lilting voice broke my reverie.  
  
The journey to Patch Village. That was what she was talking about. I gazed at her, and with a nod, I said, "Three months to get to Patch Village..." I murmured the last couple of syllables to the lake. I couldn't look at her anymore, not when she was looking at me like that.  
  
Not when she was looking at me like it would be a long time before she gets to see me again.  
  
Not when she was looking at me like all of that mattered to her.  
  
Like I--and my forthcoming absence in her life--mattered to her.  
  
A long silence followed.  
  
_Less than two days, Asakura Yoh.   
_  
_That's still plenty of time. Plenty of time to say goodbye.  
_  
_But...how can I say goodbye...when I don't even want to leave...?  
_  
If you look at it in a more...negative way, there was only a whole day and several hours before I leave. To be more precise, A whole day and an hour and fifteen minutes. And five seconds. 

Okay--a whole day, an hour, and fifteen minutes flat now.  
  
_You need to say goodbye now. Now. Why did you even ask her for a walk?  
_  
_I'm entitled to that. I can take her for a walk every now and then, can't I? I'll be marrying her someday, after all. She -is- my fiancée, after all.  
_  
_But there was a reason that you asked her for a walk right now.  
_  
_No, there is no reason. I just felt like taking a walk with her.  
_  
_No, you don't. If this was any ordinary day, you'll be too scared to do something like this.  
_  
_Hmm. You're right.  
_  
_Admit it already. You want to say goodbye to her.  
_  
_Yeah, I do. I want to say goodbye to her.  
_  
_Good. So, what are you waiting for? Do it already!  
_  
_Right, right.  
_  
_But I don't want to leave.  
_  
_And I don't want to say goodbye.  
  
But I have to.  
  
How do you say goodbye?  
_  
"Yoh." Anna. Anna is talking. She's talking to me.  
  
"Yeah?" I looked at her questioningly. I didn't want to look at her, but I did anyway.  
  
And I couldn't look away after that. I just continued to gaze at her, examine her profile, her eyes, her face, her movements...  
  
"I..." She seemed to be struggling against some inner turmoil. "I..." Her body trembled.  
  
"You cold?" I asked.  
  
She nodded.  
  
_Let's see. I know there's a vending machine around here somewhere...there it is._ I went to it, fished a couple of yen from my jacket's pockets, and bought some tea.  
  
I tossed one of the cans towards her. She had sat down at one of the benches. I remained standing, watching her. She gazed at the tea, then at me. Then she rubbed the can against her cheek gently. "Warm..." she murmured softly.  
  
_God...is anything more perfect than seeing her like this?  
_  
Now I REALLY don't wanna leave.  
  
But she'd probably kill me if I told her that. "You were saying?"  
  
She looked up at me, surprised. No more poker face. I felt like I was seeing a whole new different Anna--an Anna who showed her emotions.  
  
_I like it._ "I...Yoh, I..." She was struggling for words to say to me. This is the first time I've seen her tongue-tied. And with ME, at that.  
  
_Maybe because it's YOU.  
_  
_Well, that's reassuring._ I nodded at her, asking her to go on, continue with what she was saying.  
  
She looked at me. And I mean looked, straight into my eyes.  
  
_Okay, I can die right about now...  
_  
"If you lose, I will never forgive you."  
  
I was startled by that. Not exactly what I was hoping for. But hey, this is Anna. I'll take what I can get. "I know. I won't lose." I said with a grin.  
  
"Good." She smiled, and I knew I said the right thing.   
  
She started to stand up, and at that second, I knew our walk--and our talk--was over.  
  
"We should be getting home. It's late." She stood up completely, brushed something off her skirt, and turned towards the direction of the house.  
  
_Wait...wait. Wait!  
  
I haven't even said goodbye yet!  
_  
_Stupid, stupid, idiot, idiot Asakura Yoh. Waiting until the last minute. You don't even know how to say goodbye to her, do you?  
_  
_It doesn't matter, _I shot back at the voice that keeps interfering with my thoughts. _Not anymore. I don't have any more time left. I have to do something...say goodbye, in whatever possible way. Say goodbye in a way that would make her remember me...a way that would make me remember her...a way for us to remember each other...  
_  
_Something. Anything.  
_  
I took a step towards her retreating back._ It's now or never._ I took a step closer.  
  
And closer...  
  
And closer...until I was standing directly behind her, my front only a mere millimeter away from her back.  
  
Upon reflex, or instinct, I don't know. But at next second, my arms were around her in a warm, possessive,--almost frantic--embrace.

And I felt her body rest against mine.  
  
Minutes passed like seconds. Seconds disappeared into nothingness.  
  
Time stood still. Or so it seemed, to me. To both of us.  
  
And I could feel my heart pounding. Or was that...her heart?  
  
It was pounding frantically, almost...almost...like it was crying.  
  
Like she was crying.  
  
She was crying. She was really crying.  
  
_Yoh. Say something. Say something, quickly. Anything...  
_  
I had no indecision. "You can slap me now if you want," I said softly, almost reverently. "I don't care. But this is the only time I'll get to do this. I need to do this before I leave. I want to remember you. I want to remember what I'm coming back for. "

_-Who- I'm coming back for, _I thought. 

But I didn't say it out loud.  
  
She didn't answer, but I didn't feel her struggling either. _Dear god, I hope she wouldn't break away from my embrace.  
_  
She didn't.  
  
"Are you angry with me?" I had to ask. I wondered if she was.  
  
She shook her head. I heaved a sigh of relief. "Good." _More than good_, I thought. _Wonderful._ I wrapped my arms around her tighter, savoring the feel of her against me.  
  
_THIS was heaven.  
_  
_How can I even leave her after this? _I wondered.  
  
"Yoh..." She touched my arms...and my hands. But she didn't pull away. She touched my arms and hands like she wanted them there, around her.  
  
Like she wanted me to embrace her.  
  
And never let go.  
  
"Anna...?" I wonder what she wanted to say.  
  
"I..." An indrawn breath. "I..." She was struggling for words again. And I never really thought ANNA would ever struggle for words to say to ME.  
  
"What is it, Anna?" I gazed at her face from where I am. My face was so close to hers...  
  
She shook her head. The tears...were still falling down her face..."Just...just...come back to me, okay?" Her voice cracked a bit while she said that.  
  
She said that...like she wanted me to come back.  
  
Which means, she had already accepted that I was going to leave. And she was ready for it.  
  
And upon hearing that--maybe I am, too.  
  
_I'm ready to leave._ I know she would be waiting for me. Waiting for my return.  
  
And I smiled. "I will." I embraced her even tighter. "Of course I will."  
  
_And you'd better be there when I get back.  
  
You'd better wait for me.  
_  
"Yoh."  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"I..." She paused. Very briefly. "I'll miss you."  
  
I think that was what she was trying to tell me all this time. That was why she was struggling so much. She didn't want to tell me she was going to miss me.  
  
I gave a little chuckle. "I'll miss you too."  
  
I could swear I heard a faint laugh from her. I don't think she even noticed.  
  
We stood there, for a while, with me holding her, and her leaning against me.  
  
The sound of her heartbeat against mine was strangely comforting. It was beating the same way, like it was...feeling the same thing my heart was feeling.  
  
And she didn't need to say it. I knew it. I felt it.  
  
_Just come back to me..._a faint whisper, coming from her heart.  
  
_Wait for me,_ my heart answered.   
  
_Wait for me._

TSUZUKU.

**Replies:**

yuri maxwell = Ne, no one can stop writer's blocks, can they? But I sure as hell am glad I'm not getting it lately.=) Uhm...the only inspiration I have for this fic is Yoh. Yoh, and Anna, no one else. =) Anyway, thanks for reviewing, yuri-chan! Hopefully you'll get to read this before it disappears from the first page of the Shaman King fic list here in ff.net!=)

syaoran no hime = Thanks for reviewing! Hope you didn't get too embarassed at the Internet Cafe *laughs* Ne, don't we ALL wish this was what really happened in the anime...? That's the reason why I made this fic. Glad you liked it. And uhm...about Hao...*looks around* I'm thinking of writing something with him in it...watch out for that.=)

Kataru = *nods in agreement* 

WithoutMorals-Revived = Glad you liked it. Thanks for the review!=) 

falala wuteva/GoddessLD/MomoiroRyuu/anna asakura/KiraX105 = Here you go--second part! Thanks for reviewing!=)

da*mouse = Thanks for the review. I'm glad you think I portrayed Anna well. I sure hope the same goes for my portrayal of Yoh...although I do think this Yoh POV is very weird...but that's just me.=)

Unmei = I'm no expert on writing, but the authors of the books I've read are (or so I think). One of my main influences in my style is uhm...V.C. Andrews. Unfortunately, she's dead.=( But Flowers in the Attic is a very good book. My style is kind of like it. Anyway, thanks for the review!=)

**End notes:**

Updated July 14, 2003 along with the first part--just the notice above, and the third to the last line below. And the "owarimashita" was changed to "tsuzuku," for very obvious reasons.^^

Yoh is so smitten. Yoh is so in LOVE. Yoh is so WEIRD when he's in LOVE. Enough said.=)

The voice inside Yoh's head is not as annoying as the voice inside Anna's head. That's because Yoh doesn't fight with the voice inside his head much. He usually agrees with it. Anna, on the other hand, is always fighting with the voice inside her head.=)

There's a certain part in the Anime where Yoh was reading a map and he asks the guys which way north was in the map.=) I added that bit of info here as a bonus. That part was really funny.

The tooth-brushing thing: eh...well, for a lack of a better um...filler for that part. The five-minute bit was the first thing that came into my mind while writing that part. And it's true, by the way--minimum of five minutes in brushing teeth, yada-yada. I heard that from my dentist.=)  
  
Thanks for all the reviews for the first chapter. It's confirmed. This is officially now a 3-part fic. Yeah. 

I hope you all enjoyed this part. Because I enjoyed writing it. Yes, I did.=)  
  
Reviews will be very much appreciated.


	3. Goodbye to You

**Goodbye  
by Apple-chan  
**  
Disclaimer: insert witty disclaimer remark here  
  
AnnaXYoh. A look at what happened right before Yoh left for America. 2-part. Or in this case, 3-part.^^;;;  
  
Spoilers: For episode 25 of the Anime  
  
Warnings: Utter weirdness. Lots of utter weirdness. Might I stress that -this- chapter is, by far, the -weirdest- of the lot.   
  
The scenes after the walk. And then the morning when Yoh leaves. Third person POV.

**Final Part**

**Goodbye to You**

_I believe in you.  
  
I believe that you'll come back to me.  
  
I believe in us.  
  
And I'll wait for you.  
  
I will.  
_  
Kyouyama Anna contemplated these thoughts as she looked over a map. With the tip of her finger, she traced a certain area of the Japanese archipelago where Funbarigaoka would be, and then, she trailed her finger across the map, right across Pacific Ocean, to that enormous piece of land up north, far northeast of Japan. And her finger stopped right in the middle of that vast stretch of land called America.  
  
_America...  
  
Is so far away...  
  
And tomorrow, you'll be going there. You...won't be here anymore...  
  
You won't be here.  
  
I'll be...I'll be...  
  
I'll be...alone.  
  
_A lone tear escaped from the young Itako's eyes. She wiped it away hastily.  
  
_I will not cry again. I will never cry again. Not until he leaves,_ she vowed.  
  
_Once was enough. Never again.  
  
I have to be strong.  
  
I have to be strong for him.  
  
I have to be strong for us.  
_  
With a sigh, Kyouyama Anna the Itako stood up, folded and put away the map she had been studying, and went down the stairs to help Tamao prepare dinner.  
  
_Dinner...for him. For Yoh.  
  
For the last time._

*~*~*~*~*~*

_Have faith in me.  
  
I promise I'll come back to you.  
  
I will...just trust me.   
  
Trust in me.  
  
Trust in us.  
  
And you'd better be waiting when I get back.  
  
You'd better wait for me.  
_  
"Yoh-kun?" Asakura Yoh looked up as a small, hesitant voice broke his reverie. They were on their way home, and had only paused at a traffic light.  
  
"Yeah?" He looked down over at the small boy and gave a smile.  
  
Manta looked up at his friend with concern. "Are you alright?"  
  
_No._ "Uh-huh," the young brown-haired shaman smiled again and nodded. _I'm not alright._  
  
_Tomorrow morning, I'm leaving.  
  
I'm going to America.  
  
And...it's so far...from Japan...  
  
It's so far from...her.  
  
When I get there, she won't be there...she'll be here.  
  
Not there with me, but here, without me.  
  
And I don't want that.  
  
I don't want to leave.  
_  
_I don't want to leave her.  
_  
Yoh gave a sigh. _But I have to. She expects me to. She wants me to. I don't want to disappoint her. I have to do this. I have to do this for her. For me.  
  
For us._  
  
"I'll see you off at the airport tomorrow, ne, Yoh-kun?" Manta told him, interrupting another one of his train of thoughts.  
  
Although he was distracted, Yoh didn't show it. He just smiled at his small friend again and replied, "Yeah. See you tomorrow." Manta waved at him and he waved back.  
  
He then looked over at his spirit. "We had better get back. Anna is waiting for us."  
  
"Aa." Amidamaru nodded, and followed his master's retreating back.  
  
_Anna...is waiting for me.  
  
Waiting._

*~*~*~*~*~*

_You didn't eat.  
  
It's your last day here, and Tamao and I took great pains in making a wonderful dinner for you, and you didn't even come home in time to eat it.  
  
You know, sometimes I really hate you.  
  
Sometimes I really do...yet...a lot of the times...I just forget.  
  
And then I remember.  
  
I do.  
  
I can't hate you. I can never hate you.  
  
I can never hate you...because I...  
_  
The young Itako slid open the door of her fiancé's bedroom and gazed at his sleeping form. "You went home without even greeting me," She said to him coolly. "You didn't eat dinner," she added icily, not particularly caring if he was asleep or awake. "It's brave of you to even try that, really," she said, lacing her voice with sarcasm to cover up the hurt she really felt inside. _You didn't even say goodnight to me.  
  
That hurts.  
  
That hurts a lot.  
  
And you're leaving tomorrow.  
  
That hurts even more.  
  
But I don't hate you.  
  
I can't.  
_  
"Anyway," She continued in an icy tone, ignoring the way her voice practically cracked at the next syllable, "your new battle clothes. I just finished them." Her voice dropped several decibels lower at the last word. She tossed a small bag containing the said battle clothes at the foot of his bed.  
  
With a final whisper, she added, "Oyasumi."  
  
Then she closed the door.  
  
And then, Kyouyama Anna leaned at the closed door heavily, as if all her strength had left her.  
  
_You're stronger now. Much stronger than before.  
  
And it's not because of me. It's because of you.  
  
_She drew in a shaky breath. _And tomorrow, you won't be here anymore.  
_  
_You won't be here.  
  
You...won't be...with me...anymore.  
  
Not anymore..._

*~*~*~*~*~*

_I'm sorry.  
  
I'm sorry, Anna. I know I should have come home earlier, but...I just couldn't face you.  
  
I couldn't. No matter how much I want to.  
  
Because...because...it hurts.  
  
Because I'm leaving. I'm leaving you.  
  
No matter how many times I try to accept, it still doesn't change the fact that I'm...I'm leaving.  
  
I'm sorry. I don't think I could have eaten dinner--no matter how delicious it is--and I know, with you and Tamao working on it, it must have been wonderful--while I was feeling like this.  
_  
_Feeling like...my heart was breaking.  
_  
_I'm sorry, Anna. I just...I just...  
_  
Asakura Yoh heard--and felt--something being tossed at the foot of his bed. He didn't dare move an inch. He knew she was still there. He knew it.  
  
Conflicting emotions fought inside him, evident in the expression on his face. Part of him wanted to get up and apologize and say thank you and goodnight and hug her and...but another part of him--the stronger part, willed him not to get up, not to say anything, not to do anything. And of course, that part won.  
  
"Oyasumi." Her final word was said in a whisper.  
  
And Yoh could feel his heart smashing into pieces.  
  
He really should have gotten up and greeted her. He really should have.  
  
_I'm sorry, Anna. I can't look at you right now. I don't know if I can.  
  
Because...  
  
It hurts...so much...to look at you...  
  
I'm sorry.  
  
Anna...have I ever told you? I...  
  
Oyasumi nasai, Anna.  
  
I'm leaving tomorrow.  
  
I'm leaving you.  
  
You..._

*~*~*~*~*~*

_Goodbye.  
_  
Such an easy word. Seven letters, two syllables.  
  
_Goodbye.  
_  
There was a whole world of meaning underneath such a simple word. A whole world.  
  
The whole world.  
  
_The whole world...is exactly what he is to me.  
  
He is...my world.  
  
Goodbye.  
_  
Underneath all that simplicity, was the pain. The heartache. The meaning behind it.  
  
So simple, yet...so final.  
  
Goodbye. One word. Just one.  
  
Easy, right?  
  
Wrong.  
  
_Goodbye...probably is the hardest thing in the world to say.  
  
And it isn't any different with me.   
_  
_I have never been good with feelings. Saying "I'll miss you" took a whole lot of effort.  
_  
_Saying goodbye is even harder.  
  
The hardest.  
  
Because...I don't want to say goodbye.  
  
_The sound of front door opening broke Anna's train of thoughts. And then, the door closed.  
  
From her bedroom window, a voice, calm but loud, was heard. "What a great weather!" Yoh.  
  
_Yoh.  
_  
Almost immediately, Anna stood up. With the swiftness of the long-trained and skillful Itako that she was, she went down the stairs and headed out to the front door. Tamao was already there, clutching something in her hand. She looked up at Anna, then at the front door, clearly debating on whether she should open the door or not.  
  
Anna decided for her. The young Itako opened the door and got out, with Tamao trailing behind her.  
  
When they got out, Yoh's friends were already there, quite eager and ready to leave.   
  
Yoh noticed Anna, and he smiled, but he didn't look her way. Although he looked as energetic as ever, a hint of sadness laced his eyes.  
  
Anna refused to look at Yoh, but instead, turned her attention to the other girl, who seemed incredibly nervous. She then noticed the small object that Tamao was clutching in her hand like it meant everything in the world to her. And then Anna understood.  
  
"You have something you want to give to him, right?" She asked. Tamao nodded vigorously.  
  
Anna watched as the other girl approached her fiancé. Yoh glanced at Tamao questioningly.  
  
Blushing profusely, Tamao took a deep breath, and held out her hand to reveal a small golden medallion with intricate carving.  
  
Yoh smiled. "Sankyuu," he said, taking the medallion from her hands.  
  
"Yoh-sama...please look after yourself," Tamao whispered.  
  
"I will." Yoh answered with another smile at the girl.   
  
And then...Yoh turned...and looked at Anna.  
  
And he smiled. The biggest, most sincere smile he could muster.  
  
His smile was simple, directed to her. Yet, his eyes spoke volumes.  
  
_I want to remember you. I want to remember what I'm coming back for,_ his eyes told her.  
  
_Who I'm coming back for.  
  
You.  
_  
"Well then..." Yoh turned to his companions. And then he looked over at Anna one more time.  
  
_One last time.  
_  
And Anna took a deep breath before she spoke. "If you lose, I will never let you step on this property. Ever again."  
  
_Not goodbye.  
_  
_I don't want...to say goodbye.  
  
_Yoh nodded, smiling again. "I know."  
  
_Anna...wait for me.  
  
_He then turned his back. "Alright, let's go."  
  
Together with Horo-horo and Ryu, the three of them walked out of the house, out into the sunlight.  
  
_I didn't want to say goodbye.  
  
But...maybe...I already have._

*~*~*~*~*~*

_I didn't say goodbye.  
  
I didn't.  
  
She did...but I didn't.  
  
Or did I?  
  
I should have.  
  
Shouldn't I?  
  
_In one of the seats of one of the Tao family's private planes, Asakura Yoh sat and contemplated those thoughts, with his head cradled in his right hand, his eyes looking out the window and staring at the clouds.  
  
Then, slowly, he raised his left hand to the window, which was misty from his breath, and with his index finger, he wrote a couple of Japanese characters in the mist.  
  
An "a." And then, an "n." And then, the hiragana for "na."  
  
A-n-na. Anna.  
  
_Anna.  
  
_Yoh sighed, staring at the name he wrote on the mist.  
  
_You told her that you want to remember her.  
  
You promised to come back.  
  
You hugged her.  
  
Wasn't all that enough?  
  
Was it?_ He asked the voice. _Was it really?  
_  
_I mean, goodbye. How hard can saying that be? It's such a simple word.  
  
I'm just a coward. I mean, I had her alone that day, and even then, I couldn't do it.  
  
I couldn't...because...it's not easy saying goodbye.  
  
It's not.  
  
_Yoh recalled the events of the previous night. He remembered how she had opened his bedroom door. He remembered how she had berated him for not coming home in time for dinner. He remembered how she had told him that he even had the nerve to not greet her.  
  
Most of all, he remembered how hurt she sounded.  
  
How hurt she was when she told him his battle clothes--clothes that she made for him--were ready.  
  
And he remembered the way her voice cracked, like she was hurting so much, when she bid him goodnight.  
  
But still, he didn't stand up. He didn't even look at her, or acknowledge her presence. He just...continued to lay down and not say anything...anything at all, like the coward that he was.  
  
_Coward.  
  
You're a coward, Asakura Yoh,_ he berated himself.  
  
_A big coward.  
_  
"Tea?" One of the plane's attendants offered to him, breaking his latest series of thoughts.  
  
He nodded. "Sankyuu." The attendant handed him the can. And he stared at it, thinking.  
  
_The tea.  
  
You bought her tea. Didn't you?  
  
Yes. Yes, I did. But that...that wasn't part of the goodbye. She...she was cold. It was the least I could do.  
  
Wasn't it?  
  
Wasn't that tea part of the goodbye?  
  
The walk, the tea, the talk, and then, the hug...wasn't all of that goodbye?  
  
_And then, Yoh stood up. He paced along the floor of the airplane, all the while gazing at the can of tea in his hand. All the while thinking, _was all of that really goodbye?  
  
Did I say goodbye to her...without even knowing it?  
  
Is that even possible?  
_  
_Think of it this way,_ the voice inside his head explained. _How do you know she's already said goodbye to you? I mean, she never even uttered the words, did she?_  
  
_No,_ Yoh answered the voice with a thought of his own. _No, she didn't._  
  
_But she did say goodbye, correct?  
  
Yes. Yes she did.  
  
How did you know?  
  
I heard her.  
  
What did she say?  
  
Come back to me.  
  
What?  
  
She said, "come back to me." And then after that, she said she'll miss me.  
_  
_And what did you say?  
  
I said I'll miss her too.  
  
And...?  
  
I told her...I told her to...wait for me.  
  
You did?  
  
Not out loud.  
  
But she understood?  
  
I think she did.  
  
How do you know?  
  
She answered back.  
  
-Not- out loud?  
  
Yeah. Not out loud.  
  
How? How did you know she answered?  
  
Well, my heart heard her..._Yoh stopped dead in his tracks.  
  
_My heart.  
  
My heart. Her heart.  
  
My.Heart. Her.Heart.  
  
Our hearts.  
  
They know.  
  
They've known all along, haven't they? All this time...they've said goodbye to each other.  
_  
_Well...the heart has always been known to be more eloquent and more expressive than the mind, the mouth, and the body...  
  
It has?  
  
Yes, it has.  
  
You...you're my heart, aren't you?  
  
So...you've finally figured it out.  
_  
Yoh's face broke out into a smile.  
  
_Aa. I finally have._

*~*~*~*~*~*

Kyouyama Anna gazed up at the sky, as if seeing the plane Yoh was riding in taking off into the sunlight.  
  
_You've known all along, haven't you?_ She asked the voice inside her.  
  
_Uh-huh. Of course I have.  
  
You could have told me.  
  
Now, where would the fun be if I had done that?_ The voice asked teasingly.  
  
_Never mind.  
  
But you -did- figure it out, didn't you?  
  
_Anna smiled her rare, beautiful smile. _Yes. Yes, I did.  
_  
_You should do that more often. He likes it._  
  
_Who does?  
  
You know who I'm talking about._ The teasing tone was back in the voice again. _He's figured it out, too.  
_  
_I know. _Anna smiled at the sky. _I know.  
_  
_I can feel it._

*~*~*~*~*~*

Goodbye--such a simple word.  
  
So simple, yet so complex at the same time.  
  
Just like love.

OWARIMASHITA.

**Replies:**

KiraX105/Sweet Anime Fan/GoddessLD/Dark-Hooded Eriol the Mag = Thanks for the lovely reviews! Here's part three! I hope you like it!=)

yuri maxwell = You know me too well.=) Anyway, here's the third and final part...and request for another fic granted.=) Chapter 1 of Celebrations is up!

Bratty = You are very welcome.^_^ Thank you so much for the review!

da*mouse = Archive permission rights granted. I'd be honored to have this fic hosted at your site! I've seen it, and I absolutely love it! Arigatou for being such a wonderful reviewer! Oh...and would you please continue "If I Could Change the World" already? If you don't...I'll have to threaten you with a knife as well.*grins* Just kidding! Thanks again!

Unmei = I really wonder why anyone would even review just to get credit for themselves...I mean, that's not a purpose of a review, is it? The purpose of a review is to either critique (in a nice way) or praise or comment on another person's work. Isn't it?^_^ Anyway, that email you got...is probably from someone who doesn't understand these things. Else, he/she is just probably jealous of you.=) The important thing is, you know who you are, and you know that you sincerely mean anything you say(or, in this case, anything you write). Ne?^_^

**End notes:**

I really, sincerely hope that made sense.^^  
  
Eh...had to write this. I just couldn't stand to leave it hanging like that, with the two of them going on and on and Yoh not leaving. Well, that and uh...the death threat...with the knife and everything. Yeah. Scared the hell out of me.^^;;;  
  
**Goodbye to You** belongs to Michelle Branch. Although I did not put it along with this fic, I still used it when I wrote this chapter, so it deserves some recognition.  
  
This is the last of this particular fic series for me, so thanks to all who have read and reviewed and liked it and those who read but not reviewed and liked it anyway^^. I'll be seeing you all in my next SK fic. Although you shouldn't get your hopes up too much, if I get into the mood, I just might write a spin-off for this. Meaning...based from this, but not exactly along the lines. Maybe somewhere farther off into the series. Again, might. Stress on the word might.  
  
Which reminds me...PLUG: Please read **Celebrations** and kindly review, if you may. It's a little bit different from my previous SK fics, a lot weirder, and...um. But it's still got AnnaXYoh...and you all like that, don't you? Because otherwise...you wouldn't be reading this.=) As I said, it's mostly AnnaXYoh, with some other stuff. Anyway, that's it. **Celebrations.** Please read. Please review. Thank you all.^_^  
  
And yeah, for this chapter, reviews will still be very very much appreciated.=)


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